What type of pet boarding do you do? Captain Kitt's is a feline only hide-a-way. We have accommodations for most every need.
What types of accommodations do you offer? We offer luxurious Captain's & 1st Mate's quarters with surf & turf views (bird feeders & aquariums) housing up to 6 cats, to our standard suits, large enough for a single or two kittens.
Who will be caring for my cat during his stay? We are a family owned & operated business. My husband & I reside on the premises for full service care. On occasion we may enlist the assistance of a helper (a vet technician with excellent references)
Are the kennels securely monitored? Yes. We have a professionally monitored (24/7) video alarm system. The system detects smoke & fire as well as any breach in security.
What about meals? Who provides the food? We provide most basic brands of dry kibble as well as canned foods. Upon check in you'll be asked to choose a menu for the duration of your pets stay. Should your cat be on a special diet (k/d, holistic brands) we ask that you bring enough food to cover his/her stay & we'd be happy to use yours.
How can I check the status of my pet while I'm away? Our office hours are 9:00a.m. to 5:00pm Mon-Friday & 9-11am on Saturdays. We'd be happy to answer email, calls or text queries about your pets day while he/she's here. Phone 860-669-6369(Meow) or text: 203.804.1440 We offer clients photo/video posts on our Facebook page or you may EMAIL US
Why use a kennel vs. an in home pet sitting service? Like people, every cat has his/her own personality. Some cats like the company of knowing someone else is around & do better in 24/7 care. Some don't. In the case that you have a severely skittish or aggressive cat you may consider leaving him at home & have a service come to him.
What are my payment options? We trust the clients in our community as they trust us with their pets. It's rare that we ever have payment problems, therefore, payment is due when services are complete. We accept Mastercard, Discover & Visa. Payments may also be in the form of personal check or cash. No AMEX. We require a 25% non-refundable deposit to secure all reservations during peak times of year to ensure serious bookings only & have an accurate understanding of availability for prospective clients.
What are check-in/departure times? We schedule SPECIFIC appointments Monday thru Friday for check-in/departures between the window of 9:00a.m. to 11:00a.m. then again in the afternoon between 3:00pm to 5:00pm. On Saturday's from 9:00a.m.-11:00a.m. This means we ask that you select a specific time within the window. We are closed Saturday afternoons, Sundays & holidays to the public, no exceptions. We are, however, here to service the 'guests'. Should you find you'll be unable to make your scheduled appointment, we'd ask that you give us the courtesy of calling to reschedule. We urge the use of soundly constructed pet carriers or leash with a snug harness. While under normal conditions your cat may allow you to carry him, a car/truck horn may give him a start and squirm from your grip. A reminder that I95 is extremely busy on Friday afternoons & Saturday mornings.
Why aren't you open all day for drop-offs? We find that cats require a serene environment with as little disruption as possible. Scheduling limited hours open to the public allows for us to maintain a quiet day for them to relax. & for us to administer the routine tasks the keep them happy!
What if I can't make your time parameters: Should you choose to have a friend or relative pick up in your stead, we would need to know prior to the departure appointment. We will not release custody to anyone not listed in the client folder unless we hear directly from the client. Should you like the name of a local pet taxi service, please call.
How do you charge for day of departure/arrival? We charge like a regular hotel. As long as you depart in the morning we will not charge you for that days stay. For more information check out our rate page.
Do you refuse service to anyone? Yes. We allow only neutered/spayed cats into our facility. Intact cats have a tendency to mark their territory which would make for an unclean environment (young kittens under 4 months of age being the only exception). Should your cat be dangerous or unusually aggressive we'd also recommend you use an in home pet care service. Extreme neglect cases are reported to the proper authorities immediately. (i.e. Should your pet suffer from ailments or wounds blatantly untreated or malnourished). For obvious reasons, we can not board any cats with signs of a contagious conditions (sneezing, running eyes, etc.)
What do I need to do to make reservations? We ask that you give us as much advanced notice as possible to ensure we can accommodate your requests (school vacation/holidays become booked up fairly quickly). Clients with a record of chronic cancellations will not be allowed to reserve time without full, non refundable payment in advance. All clients must provide a 25% non-refundable deposit in order to secure reservations. For more info see our online reservations page.
I've never been to your facility & would like to check it out before making reservations? We urge you to do this to ensure you're comfortable with our facility & us as pet care providers. Give us a call in advance & we'd be happy to schedule a private tour during our business hours. No one will be admitted without an appointment for the security & safety of our guests. You can also check out our virtual video tour on line should your schedule preclude you from coming in person. Click here for directions.
What are your rates? Check out our rates section for pictures/sizes & daily rates for all our suites.
Do you charge extra for exercise time? No. All guests are allowed time each day to exercise/stretch their legs in our play room. Only cats from the same household are allowed in the playroom at the same time for health reasons. Entertainment includes: scratching posts, window views of the bird feeding station & stalking proximity to the office parakeets (not to worry, they're protected by glass).
Do you allow bedding from home? No. We provide fresh, clean bedding to all guests for the duration of their stay to ensure their comfort & that our facility remains flea free.
What proof of vaccination do I need? Prior to check in (you can bring it with you) we'll need a copy of your up to date vet records with proof of vaccination for Rabies & Distemper(FVRCP). We also check vet records to ensure all cats are spayed/neutered if over the age of 4 months. Should your cat present with sneezing, runny eyes or wheezing at check in you will not be permitted admittance. For obvious reasons we can not expose our other guests to a possible respiratory virus. Please be considerate of our other boarders & our business - if you think you're cat has any of the aforementioned symptoms, board with your vet or in-home pet sitter.
What credentials do you have for cat boarding? We are licensed by the State of CT Agricultural Department & have our permit from the Town of Clinton to run our boarding facility. We have many references to back up our pet expertise, including those from Vets & Vet Technicians. We pass each surprise state inspection with flying colors! Worried about the care your pet will receive from area kennels? Call the State Of CT Dept of Agriculture Animal Control Division & ask for information on commercial kennel inspections. CT Magazine named us top kennel in CT & We've been voted Best kennel by the readers of the New Haven Advocate 5 years straight (until they changed category to Doggy Daycare!) Also named one of the top cat friendly destinations by national Cat Fancy Magazine (#17, June/2010).
My cat has special needs, can you help? We can administer medications including insulin shots IF the cat is amiable. We can clean out gummy eyes & administer ear drops. Should your pet require an extremely high level of medical attention or be aggressive while getting medications we'd ask that you board with your vet.
What type of litter do you use? PetCo brand scoopable litter & in some cases the old fashioned clay litter for cats with high levels of output. All boxes & scoops are sterilized prior to use to avoid cross contamination. We are strict with all our cleaning practices & this is why you'll never be assaulted by 'dirty kennel smell' when you enter our facility.
My cat may have fleas, will you still take him? All guests will be checked for fleas & flea dirt upon arrival, should they be accompanied by 'stow-aways' they will be immediately treated with Advantage or Frontline or Capstar oral medication if a topical treatment has already been administered, at the owners expense prior to entering guest quarters & segregrated for 48 hours. If your cat has fleas, we encourage you to treat him/her with Advantage/Frontline for cats at least 48 hours prior to check in to avoid the $75.00 per cat fee for flea combing/treating infected cat before we can allow him/her into our community boarding area. NO EXCEPTIONS. Should you have an infestation where the cat sleeps or has access too, you may bring in fleas despite treatments. We'd advise you diligently flea comb kitty with a soapy solution & do not bring any bedding with you in your carrier to avoid our finding/treating kitty. Our reputation & livelihood is staked on seeing to it our other clients do not become infected --- so PLEASE... should you think you have fleas... be just & dilligent about not bringing them into our facility - (you also may be turned down for your next reservation request).
Why have you chosen cat boarding as a vocation? We didn't always have such a great job. Leaving both the corporate world & the restaurant business for less stressful, fulfilling lives we stumbled upon pet care by accident. Friends & family would ask us to care for their pets while away & we discovered not only did we enjoy it, but that there is a great need for responsible pet care professionals. We love what we do now, not many working people can say that!
Is there anytime of year you close down? We do schedule vacations & time off at non-peak times of year. At that time we have a competent helper/vet tech who does a wonderful job of filling our shoes. This vet tech stays at our facility/home overnight so there is still fulltime care. We give plenty of advanced notice of these dates via our company Facebook page.
Will you take in other critters such as bunnies, mice or reptiles? No. Because it's essential for us to maintain top air quality, we must limit the amount of airborne bacteria sources. Critter bedding oftentimes smells very pungent & we feel this will also be a source of discomfort for our other guests.
Comfort is a concern, do you have A/C? Yes. We have central air in the summer & in the winter there's even a fireplace away from direct contact with our guests to add to the toasty atmosphere. We feel the cats prefer outside air/breezes whenever possible & when outdoor temperatures are adequate we keep the windows/screen doors open.
The above information is subject to change. For up-to-date information please call us directly: 860-669-MEOW (6369)